Tidy box made entirely of polypropylene

ABSTRACT

A tidy box made entirely of polypropylene consists only of two parts fitted together after moulding. One part, the lower part, forms the base of the box together with a lid provided on one side with a catch or fastening lug and on the other side with a pull handle. The lid is made integral with the base by a polypropylene hinge so that the whole forms a single piece. The other part, the upper part, forms side parts, a top, back and front, the latter forming a fixed frame for the lid without any bottom cross-member, and the top has a notch and retaining edge for co-operating with the lid catch or fastening lug, the whole again forming only a single piece.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tidy box suitable for keeping smallitems, for example office requisites such as pencils, pens, rubbers, andpocket calculators, small samples and small toilet and dress requisites.In preferred embodiments the box is especially designed to be fittedinside and to be secured to the back of the lid of a rigid type of case,such as an attache case, generally used for carrying documents.

Although there already exist boxes which can be used for this purpose,the present invention provides an improved form of tidy box whichpermits simple manufacture and which can have a high strength in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A tidy box in accordance with the invention, suitable for keeping smallitems, for example office requisites such as pencils, pens, rubbers, andpocket calculators, small samples and small toilet and dress requisites,is made entirely of polypropylene and consists only of two parts fittedtogether after moulding, one part, a lower part, forming the base of thebox together with a lid having a catch or fastening lug on one side anda pull handle on the other side, the lid and the base being integrallyconnected by a polypropylene hinge so that the whole of said lower partconstitutes only a single element, and the other part, an upper part,forms side portions, a top, back and front portion, the latter forming afixed frame for the lid without any bottom cross-member, and the tophaving a notch and retaining edge, the whole of said upper part againconstituting only a single element.

In preferred embodiments, as the tidy box will generally extend acrossthe whole width of the lid of a case with which it is used, provision isusually made for dividing it up into several compartments withpartitions formed simultaneously with the upper part, and the lower partthen has several lids, one per compartment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To provide a clearer understanding of the invention a description isgiven below with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating, byway of non-limitative example only, a tidy box made in accordance withthe invention and having three compartments.

In said drawings,

FIG. 1 is a general diagrammatic view of the tidy box;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, at hinge level withthe box open;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the box closed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view in vertical section of the box fitted inthe lid of a case, the section being taken at the level of a fixingpoint;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the lower part of the box, with the lidsthereof open;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the upper part of the box;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view in section taken on the line I--I ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view in section taken on the line II--II ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a further, fragmentary, top plan view of the lower first part;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary underside plan view of the upper second part;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view from the end ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary enlarged side view in section taken on the lineIII--III of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 13 is an enlarged side elevational view from the end of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the various FIGS. of the drawings, the upper part of thebox structure illustrated therein is indicated generally by thereference numeral 1 and the lower part of the box structure, whichincludes a number of lids 3 for different compartments, is indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral 2.

The upper part 1 incorporates a top portion 1a, a front portion 1b, arear portion 1c and end portions or sides 1d. The lower part 2, whichprovides the base of the box in addition to the lids 3, incorporates afront base portion 2a, end or side base portions 2b, a rear base portion2c, and a base surface or bottom portion 2d, these portions togetherforming a trough-like container.

In the case of a box with three compartments as illustrated, the lowerpart 2 is further provided with internal base portions 2e so that thereare in effect three trough-like containers, and the upper part 1 hasinternal partitions 1e.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen thatconnecting hinges 4 between each lid 3 and the front base portion 2a ofthe lower part 2 are formed simply by an integral bridging section ofpolypropylene having a reduced thickness and bent round at the frontpermitting each lid to swing open through at least 90° (see FIG. 2). Thelids 3 also each have a catch or fastening lug 5 and a finger pullhandle part 6, and for engaging with the catch or fastening lug 5 thefront portion 1b of the upper part 1 has a notch 7 in an upper retainingedge.

By referring to FIG. 4, the precise cross-sectional profile of the catch5, pull handle 6 and notch 7 is seen, and the longitudinal shape ofthese elements is seen by reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Thus, as shown,each catch 5 extends over only the centre section of the respective lid3 and each notch 7 extends over only the centre section of the frontportion 1b associated with each respective compartment, but on the otherhand the pull handles 6 each extend along the whole length of theirrespective lids 3. From other structural details shown in FIGS. 4 to 8,it will be seen that the base or lower part 2, of which the frontportion 2a is curved and inclined outwards, projects forwards beyond thefront edge of the top portion 1a of the upper part 1 so that each lid 3,when closed, is inclined inwardly.

At each of at least two fixing points 8, as shown in FIG. 4, a hole 9 isprovided in the base bottom portion 2d, extending inwards from theoutside, for receiving a "Parker" screw 10 to fix the box to an attachecase by passing the screw 10 through a side wall 11 of the lid of thecase. The case is only partially illustrated, by this side wall 11 ofthe lid and by another wall 12.

In order to seat the box perfectly in the top of the case, abutmentcross-members 13 are provided on the underside of the base bottomportion 2d and, on the upper part 1, feet 14 are provided at the bottomof the sides 1d together with an abutment cross-member on the rearportion 1c (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

As seen in FIG. 4, there is also a cross-member 16 behind the notch 7forming an abutment or stop which prevents the lid 3 from being pushedin too far within the box. As is also seen in FIG. 4, the hinge 4 isformed with a portion which is sufficiently thin as to leave an openspace or gap 17 between the lower edge 3a of the lid and the free edgeof the front base portion 2a so as to permit lowering of the lid in thedirection of the arrow 23 thereby to release the catch 5 from the notch7.

Due to the upwards inclination of the pull handle 6, which arises partlyfrom the opposite inclination of the lid 3 (in the closed position),when a pull is exerted to open the lid a lowering of the lid in thedirection of the arrow 23 tends to be produced quite naturally.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 to 13, it is seen that in a preferred form thelower part 2, in the base side portions 2b and dividing portions 2e,includes openings 18 extending through or associated with feet 14 andforming mortise apertures which may act as sockets. Also, there are twosupport points 19 positioned at and rising above the outer wall, on theinside thereof, of the rear base portion 2c and a support member 20positioned at and rising above the outer wall, on the outside thereof,of the rear base portion 2c (FIG. 11).

In this example, only two support points 19 are provided since there isalso a support surface 21 provided by the fixing parts or portions 8also positioned at and rising above the outer wall, on the insidethereof, of the rear base portion 2c.

In the upper part 1, each of the side portions 1d and interior partitionportions 1e are provided with tenons 22 designed to be introduced intothe mortice apertures 18.

Consequently, on the one hand the two parts 1 and 2 are fitted togetherby the arrangement of the tenons 22 and mortise apertures 18 and, on theother hand, the rear portion 1c of the upper part is held and supportedbetween one side of the support member 20 and the other side of thesupport points 19 and the part 21 of the fixing points 8.

As the box is made in polypropylene, the two parts 1 and 2 can bepositively joined together in a known manner by welding in fixing thetenons 22 in the feet 14 which, as indicated in FIGS. 11 and 12, willthereby be flattened.

The invention is not of course limited to the embodiment described andillustrated and it would not be outside the scope of the invention tomake detail modifications in presentation and form, for example, in thecovering of the box or in its interior fittings, a characteristicfeature being that the box is made of only two parts each moulded all inone piece without using any mechanical accessories such as screws,fastenings, hinges, springs, rubber bands, etc.

I claim:
 1. A tidy box made entirely of polypropylene suitable forkeeping small items, for example office requisites such as pencils,pens, rubbers, and pocket calculators, small samples and small toiletand dress requisites, said box consisting only of two parts fittedtogether after moulding, one part, a lower part, forming the base of thebox together with a lid having a catch or fastening lug on one side anda pull handle on the other side, the lid and the base being integrallyconnected by a polypropylene hinge so that the whole of said lower partconstitutes only a single element, and the other part, an upper part,forms side portions, a top, back and front portion, the latter forming afixed frame for the lid without any bottom cross-member, and the tophaving a notch and retaining edge, the whole of said upper part againconstituting only a single element.
 2. A tidy box according to claim 1,characterised in that it is divided into a plurality of compartmentswith partitions formed simultaneously with the upper part, and the lowerpart has a plurality of lids, one per compartment.
 3. A tidy boxaccording to claim 1, wherein the hinge is formed by a polypropyleneportion of reduced thickness bent round externally.
 4. A tidy boxaccording to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the base of the boxis inclined outwardly and projects beyond the top edge of the box suchthat the lid, when closed, is inclined inwardly.
 5. A tidy box accordingto claim 3, wherein the hinge is formed by a portion of which thethickness is reduced sufficiently to leave a gap between the lower edgeof the lid and the edge of the front portion of the base such as topermit the lid to drop and release the catch from the notch.
 6. A tidybox according to claim 1,wherein the pull handle is inclined upwardly inrelation to the lid such that, when pulled, there is a natural tendencyfor the lid to be lowered.
 7. A tidy box according to claim 1,said boxincluding a number of external abutment cross-members and feetfacilitating it being seated in close fitting relationship in the top ofa case and including, behind the notch, an internal cross-member formingan abutment for the catch.
 8. A tidy box according to claim 1,whereinthe base has externally at least two fixing points comprising holesadapted to receive screws for fixing the box in the top of a case.
 9. Atidy box according to claim 1,wherein, for connecting together theopposite two parts, side portions and dividing portions of the baseinclude holes which are associated with feet and form mortise openings,and support elements are provided comprising support points and alsosupport surfaces of fixing portions, which are positioned at and whichrise above an outer wall, on the inner side thereof, of the rear portionof the base, and a support member which is also positioned at and whichrises above the outer wall, on the outer side thereof, of the rearportion of the base, and the side portions and interior partitionportions of the upper part have tenons adapted to be engaged in themortise openings of the base while the back portion of the upper partfits between said support elements of the base.
 10. A tidy box accordingto claim 9, wherein the tenons of the upper part are welded in themortise openings of the base of the lower part.